Japan’s prime minister calls for baseball expansion to help the economy

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Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe’s economic plan calls for all kinds of things. One of which is baseball expansion:

“Prosperous baseball teams could strengthen attachment to regional cities and help local economies thrive,” said the report, which cited the success of U.S. Major League Baseball in nearly doubling from 16 teams to 30 since the 1960s.

In the U.S. we limit our political/baseball interaction to first pitches and underwriting ballparks, so it’s kind of weird to see that sort of a recommendation as a part of actual policy. It’s also weird to be reminded, as this article reminds us, that in Japan baseball team expenses are all written off as advertising for the corporations which sponsor the teams. Sometimes they’re called the “Tokyo Giants,” but they’re really the Yomiuri Giants. All the teams have corporate names like that.

Anyway, this shows you how lame Major League Baseball’s lobbying efforts are compared to those in Japan. C’mon guys, get with the program. I want to see someone in Washington agitating for more baseball teams this time next year.

Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal

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Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.